


My arms, they will hold you

by OlicityAddicted



Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Nightmares, Oliver Queen Has PTSD, One Shot, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-23
Updated: 2018-07-23
Packaged: 2019-06-15 04:15:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,528
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15404745
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OlicityAddicted/pseuds/OlicityAddicted
Summary: Oliver is back home from prison, but something happens when he has a nightmare.





	My arms, they will hold you

Felicity was making the bed in her room, when she heard William's soft steps coming closer.

“Felicity?”

“Hey, William. What is it?” She asked seeing his worried face.

“Are you still angry with dad?”

She thought back to last night. Oliver has been home for a week and they discussed again about his choice of turning himself in to the FBI. William probably heard them speaking loudly. What he didn't hear though was when they cleared everything, quietly.

“No, honey. We resolved things, I promise.” She gave him a sincere smile, but it didn't convince him.

“Then why is he sleeping on the couch?”

Felicity took a deep breath. She told him every single night that he should sleep in their bed, but he insisted on the couch. One look from him and she knew the reason didn't have to do with their problems.

“William, your dad has spent five months in a place where he constantly needed to be on alert. One wrong move from us and he might react, thinking he's still in there. He needs to get used to feeling safe again.”

William frowned, trying to understand. “Okay.”

She glanced at her watch. “Why don't you start to get ready for school, while I finish here and make you breakfast? We’re gonna talk about it while we eat, okay?”

William nodded then left the bedroom and she continued with her task.

When she was done she made her way to the kitchen and heard Oliver roaring in anger.

Quickening her steps Felicity entered the living room and took in what was happening.

Oliver was on the couch, his muscles tense, hands clenched in tight fists by his sides, face contorted in anger and he was breathing fast.

He was having a nightmare.

And William was just a foot away from him, his hand reaching out to touch his shoulder.

“William, NO!” Felicity yelled, running towards them.

William turned around but his hand already touched Oliver. Felicity was able to grab his hoodie and yank him away from his father, the force of her action making him stumble a few feet away and Felicity ended in his place.

In a second Oliver's left arm connected with her chest and pushed her away from him, slamming her on the floor while his right fist hit her jaw.

A cry of pain left her lips and she saw him raise his arm again, his eyes dark and unfocused.

“Oliver!”

His fist froze mid-movement.

Felicity watched as the anger was replaced by confusion and then horror, a shocked breath escaping his lips. Oliver scrambled away from her, his back hitting the couch as he looked at her in bewilderment.

She moved into a sitting position and immediately tried to reassure him. “Oliver, it’s okay. Everything’s fine. You’re safe.”

He was shaking his head in agony and shame. “I didn’t- I wasn’t…” He shut his eyes and covered his face with shaky hands, the heels of his palms digging into his eyes so hard she thought he was seriously going to hurt himself.

Felicity crawled to him and grabbed his wrists without hesitation or fear. “Oliver.” She tried to move his arms but he was too strong. “Oliver, stop. Come on.” She gave it a few more tries and Oliver finally moved his hands away from his eyes a few inches.

“Hey, look at me.” Her thumbs rubbing against the back of his hands in a soothing motion. He kept his eyes shut, breathing hard.

“Oliver, please.”

“I’m sorry.” The pain in his voice was enough to break her heart for him.

“It’s okay. I’m fine.”

“Why did you do it? You know what happens.” He asked her brokenly.

“It was me.” William’s voice reached their ears.

Oliver looked at him, suddenly aware of his presence and his eyes filled with tears.

“What?” He mouthed, no sounds escaping his tightened throat.

“I thought you were having a nightmare and I wanted to wake you up. I’m sorry, Felicity.” His voice trembled and he slowly walked to his room.

“William, wait.” But he didn’t listen to her and quietly closed his door.

“I screwed up everything. I always screw up everything.” Oliver’s voice made her look back at him.

“Hey, no. You didn’t.”

He looked up at her, his eyes focusing on the red spot on her face.

“I’m sorry.”

“Stop apologizing. I understand what happened, I knew it was going to happen the moment I moved William away.” Felicity cradled his face and stared into his eyes. “I knew what to expect, but William didn’t.”

“I should still be locked up.” Oliver said resignedly.

“No. You shouldn’t.”

“It’s domestic abuse, Felicity!” He blurted out. “I hit you. I was about to hit my son, but you intervened and I hit my wife!”

“It’s not abuse, Oliver, it’s PTSD. Like I said to William, you spent five months watching your back, being on alert all the time. Five months plus the last twelve years of your life. It’s normal you reacted like that. The only thing we did wrong was not telling William about it. It’s not only your fault, it’s mine too. We both should have told him not to approach you when you’re like this.” Felicity tried to explain to him.

He thought about her words. “Can you forgive me?”

“No, because there’s nothing to forgive, you didn’t do it intentionally. It’s okay, Oliver. The only thing to fix… Is William. We have to talk to him, _now_ before he thinks the worst of it.”

He nodded and stood. “I’ll go talk to him.”

Felicity opened her mouth to tell him he didn’t have to do it on his own, but stopped herself and shut her mouth in a tight line, closing her eyes in defeat. Last night’s discussion apparently lost on him.

“Okay.” It was all she said.

He turned around and made to leave but stopped and looked at her. Oliver extended his hand toward her, palm up, an invitation to take his hand.

“ _We_ should talk to him.”

Felicity looked up at him, hope showing on his face. She gave him a small smile and took his hand.

“Yes, _we_ should.”

They made their way to the boy’s room and Oliver knocked.

“I don’t feel like going to school.”

Oliver looked uncertainly at her and she nodded encouragingly at him. Oliver opened the door and they saw William sitting on the bed, looking down at his hands while they rested on his lap.

“William…” Oliver started but he couldn’t continue, Felicity squeezed his hand to give him strength. “William, I’m sorry I scared you.”

His son looked up at him with unsure eyes. “I didn’t know.”

“You’re right.” Felicity told him. “It was a mistake not telling you. A mistake we _both_ made.” She said while looking at Oliver.

“You were telling me earlier. I didn’t think it’d be this bad, I thought he’d get mad but that was it.”

“I should have been more clear.” She told him.

William looked at his father. “I saw you were having a nightmare and wanted to help you, like you used to help me.” He tried to explain.

“William, you did nothing wrong, I… I’m sorry I could’ve hurt you.” Oliver said with tears in his eyes, then he looked at Felicity. “And I’m sorry for hurting you.”

She squeezed his hand again, silently communicating she was okay.

“I don’t want the two of you to be afraid of me.” He whispered while looking down at the floor.

Felicity looked at William who was walking towards them and without another word he hugged his father. “I’m not scared of you. You’re my dad.”

Felicity watched as Oliver closed his eyes and held William a little more tightly, but still very careful to not hurt him.

They let each other go and William asked “Can I stay home today?”

“Of course, buddy.”

They left his room and made their way to the kitchen, Oliver leading her to sit on a chair.

“I’ll be right back.”

Felicity watched him grab a few cubes of ice and wrap a towel around them, then he sat on the chair in front of her. He gently cradled her face with one hand, while the other placed the ice where he hit her.

“It’s gonna bruise.” Oliver said, guilt evident on his face.

“And then it’ll fade away. I’m fine, Oliver.”

“It-” He cleared his throat then started again, whispering so William won’t hear. “I was back at Slabside. There was Derek Sampson, then Danny Brickwell and Ben Turner. I was fighting them. That’s why I reacted like that.”

He was talking, actually talking to her. Oliver opened up, he communicated. He included her in what was happening to him, with William and with the nightmare.

“Come here.” Felicity opened her arms and he went to hug her.

Silence filled the room, until she spoke again.

“I think you should start to keep a journal again. It helped in the past.”

She felt him nod against her shoulder. “I’ll do that.”

Then Oliver took a deep breath. “Thank you.”

Felicity held him tighter. “Always.”

**Author's Note:**

> How awesome was that trailer?? I have to say, the close up on Stephen's face when he's in the shower is my aesthetic at the moment!
> 
> Anyway, this one shot was inspired by that trailer. I think Oliver is going to struggle with feeling safe again when he'll be back home, so a scene like this would make sense... If the writers love the drama -and we all know they do- they might do something like this.


End file.
